Having publicly expressed his desire to leave the club earlier this summer, French youth international Niels Nkounkou’s standoff with Saint-Étienne looks set to continue, going into the final week of the transfer window.
According to Foot Mercato, the Ligue 2 side have turned down another bid for the left-back from Eintracht Frankfurt, which this time was higher than the initial €6m offered by the Bundesliga side. However, ASSE are holding out for €10m.
Nkounkou was signed from Everton on an initial loan deal back in January, and impressed in his half-season in the second tier with six goals and eight assists, which helped Saint-Étienne stave off the prospect of a relegation battle.
However, the wide player has explained that he had joined the club under the impression that he would only be there for six months, and was surprised to hear that the ten-time Ligue 1 winners had triggered his €2.5m permanent clause. Les Verts are now sceptical about the prospect of keeping a player who does not want to be there, and could cash in before the end of the window. 30% of the profit on the transfer would go to the Premier League side.
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin
